Clipper brings widespread Saturday snowfall to southern Ontario
The arrival of snow on Saturday will precede a much-needed warmup by Sunday
A long week of wintry weather across southern Ontario will see one final batch of widespread snowfall on Saturday before a much-needed warmup arrives to end the weekend.
While the approaching clipper will finally shut off those pesky snow squalls, it will give rise to snow across most of the region through the day Saturday.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are reminding motorists to 'know before you go' and to use resources like 511 Ontario for up-to-date road conditions and closures. Be sure to stay up to date on all of the weather warnings in your area, as well, and have a plan in place as conditions worsen.
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WATCH: Unrelenting band of lake-effect snow causes havoc in London, Ont.
Saturday: Clipper arrives with snow
Snow squalls continued through the day Friday as the coldest air of the season washed over southern Ontario. Toronto didn’t climb above freezing for the first time since last March.
Shifting winds will finally force the persistent snow squalls off the lakes to simmer down—just in time for a renewed round of snow to build over the region on Saturday.
Another clipper system moving through northern Ontario will brush southern sections of the province through the day Saturday.
Northeastern Ontario will see the snow begin Saturday morning and end by the nighttime hours.
Light snow will reach the Greater Toronto Area by the afternoon, ending in the western GTA by the evening and coming to a close for the eastern GTA late Saturday night.
We’ll see the snow arrive in the Ottawa area by Saturday evening, continuing through the overnight period before ending Sunday morning.
Totals should remain on the lighter side, especially compared to the snow squalls we’ve seen of late, but even a few centimetres of snow is enough to cause slick roads and slow travel.
The greatest snowfall amounts will fall across eastern Ontario, where forecasters expect 10-15 cm of accumulation by the end of the event.
Areas around northern Lake Huron, southern Georgian Bay, and the eastern GTA should see 5-10 cm of snow from this clipper, while the rest of Ontario is on track to see totals generally less than 5 cm.
Looking ahead: Milder air, then more cold arrives
That clipper system will help drag warmer air north of the border, lending southern Ontario a few days of milder temperatures before we take a dip again next week.
Readings are expected to climb well above freezing on Sunday. We’re likely going to see some rain showers on Monday, but some light freezing rain and mixed precipitation are expected north and northeast of Toronto.
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Another system expected to develop over the U.S. Midwest on Tuesday will track into southern Ontario with widespread rain Tuesday night. There’s also the potential for snow for some areas well to the west of the storm track as a cold front approaches the region.
A strong cold front is expected to track across the region on Wednesday, followed by a quick shot of Arctic air with temperatures a few degrees colder than seasonal. This should trigger another round of significant lake-effect snow by Wednesday night.
Much milder weather is expected to arrive for the weekend, with that warmer pattern dominating into mid-December. We'll be watching the potential for a colder pattern to kick in during late December and early January.
WATCH: London blasted with lake-effect band, highway 401 closed
Stay with The Weather Network for all the latest on conditions across Ontario.
